Various pieces of information in this chapter marked with an asterisk (*) originate from a letter written by Hermann Joseph Metzger's lover, Anita Borgert to her lawyer Ludwig Delp on December 2nd 1970.
Sources of quotations and dates without footnotes are reprinted as a facsimile in "Materialien zum O.T.O."

1880 — Allegedly, the singer and pharmacist Theodor
Reuss re-activated the "Ludwig Lodge" [1] of the Illuminati Order (IO) in Munich. [2] Sources to these dates are highly speculative, see the events of 1901. The actor and author Leopold Engel ("Theophrastus", b. 19.4.1858) joined the Lodge founded in Berlin in 1895, on November 9th 1896. [3]
Leopold's father, Karl Dietrich Engel (1824-1913) was a violinist and in 1846 became Konzertmeister (leader) of the orchestra of the Imperial Russian Theatre. When he returned to Germany he eventually settled at Dresden and wrote extensively on the Faust legend. His son, Leopold Engel was an itinerant actor who practised hypnotism and alleged naturopathic healing on the side.

[On the right: Theodor Reuss]

1893 — Leopold Engel founded the World League at Berlin [other sources state that Engel first founded his IO in 1897 at Dresden]. [4]
Reuss himself does not appear to have been involved in any
regular masonic activity since he had joined the Pilgrim Lodge in London in 1876.

25.5.1896 — the Spiritualist Engel, Max Rahn of the Sphinx periodical,
August Weinholtz "et alii" founded the 'Union of German Occultists.'
[5] Weinboltz and Rahn were both at Berlin; Engel lived at Dresden. Rahn
had a job at the Börse (stock exchange) and Weinholtz owned a
business which supplied equipment for horse drawn carriages. Rahn and
Engel were joint secretaries of the Society of German Occultists, and
Weinholtz its treasurer. Rahn and Weinholtz were respectively the
editor and publisher of the periodical "Die Übersinnliche Welt"
which was mainly concerned with alleged psychic phenomena, animal
magnetism and similar subjects. In his turn Leopold Engel edited and
published the periodical, "Das Wort" (No. I, 1894), which reflected its
proprietor's esoteric preoccupations.

In 1897-98 Rahn and Engel edited and published an "International Directory of Seekers after Truth" for the benefit of the occult fraternity.

1899 — Engel's IO and Reuss's IO were united (again?). In "Das Wort", the organ of the Illuminati Order, Reuss published a 'Political Review' in 1900. [6] Reuss received a Martinist charter from 'Papus' in 1901; naturally enough, as they were both Theosophists.

12.3.1901 — Engel and Reuss sought to lend their organisation more
"gravitas" with a home-made and back-dated charter [7] allegedly
giving them power to re-establish the OI (as founded by Adam
Weishaupt): Theodor Reuss, Leopold Engel, August Weinholtz, Max
Rahn and Siegmund Miller, who were joined by Max Heilbronner and Georg
Gierloff, met at Reuss's home in Berlin and resolved to re-open the
Ludwig Lodge which had been founded at Munich in 1880. According to the
minutes the dormant Ludwig Lodge was "ancient and accepted". The
following officers were then unanimously elected: Master: Theodor Reuss, Senior Warden: August Weinholtz, Junior Warden: Max Rahn, Senior Deacon: Leopold Engel, Junior Deacon: Georg Gierloff (Reuss's future brother-in-law), Treasurer: Max Heilbronner.
The Warrant was issued by the Order of the Illuminati and referred to the Order's specific authority to form masonic lodges. Reuss was now accorded the sole right to found and consecrate masonic lodges according to the Order's "lodge regulations". All masonic documents were to
be signed and sealed at the Order's office at Dresden. For some
unknown reason this document was backdated to 1 January 1900.
The foundation of this Ludwig Lodge was announced in the
Rahn-Weinholtz periodical "Die Übersinnliche Welt", where it was
stated that "the Order of the Illuminati founds and warrants
masonic lodges. However, only master masons can be accepted in
the high degrees or found freemasonic lodges ... The Order has
close connections with freemasons in France, England and
America." It was also emphasized that the lodge was masonically
regular and worked a recognized ritual based upon an old and
genuine English exemplar. Apart from the three craft degrees
there was also a fourth St Andrew's degree. "Master masons who
are in possession of the St Andrew's degree and wish to pursue
occult studies can be received into the Rosicrucian degree ..."

The brethren soon began to hear objections that the Ludwig Lodge was
nothing more than an offshoot of the Order of the Illuminati and not
masonic. A solution was easily found. On 3 July 1901 the lodge ceased to have any official connection with the Order and Engel startd to call Reuss' Charter back-dated March 1901 a swindle. Quarrell once again.

September 1901 — Allegedly Kellner, Reuss, and Franz Hartmann founded
the O.T.O. [8] This source is highly doutbful because it is to assume that neither Kellner or Franz Hartmann
ever knew about the Ordo Templi Orientis, and certainly were no members!
Number 0 of the "Oriflamme" appeared in 1902, in which Leopold
Engel, Max Rahn, August Weinholtz and Franz Held were named as the
first participants. It appears that Reuss and Engels were reconciled
again.

1902 — Meetings held at Dresden. The English Regent of the Reussian
OTO was the 'Summus Magus' of the 'Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia,'
William Wynn Westcott "Non Omnis Moriar, Sapere Aude" (co-founder of
the Golden Dawn). Reuss was the 'Magus' or leader of the short-lived
offshoot the 'Societas Rosicruciana in Germania' from 7.7.1902 to
11.7.1907. [9] Engel was its 'Magus Delegatus Primus.'

27.6.1902 — Westcott wrote to Reuss: "Engel told me additionally
that I could consider myself as an Illuminatus of the Dresden branch." On 26.8.1902 Westcott accepted "the position as Regent."

On 3 July, according to Reuss, the officers of the Grand Mother Lodge Ludwig resolved to expel Engel and his friend Siegmund Miller on account of certain alleged misdemeanours and they were accordingly banished.
Reuss introduced his Memphis-Misraim in Germany and lost interest in
the OI.
16.10.1902 — Westcott thanked Reuss for an Illuminati Warrant, but
stated that he was neither willing nor able to take the IO any further
in England, as it was too close to the regular Masonic 18° etc.
[10]

June 1902 — Final schism between Engel and Reuss. Kellner's
"teachings of the 'Hermetic Brotherhood of Light' would be reserved
for a few initiates". [11] Certain Memphis-Misraim degree members
soon were to become members of a new organisation: the O.T.O. Reuss'
activities now pass beyond the borders of this chapter.

Theodor Reuss to Aleister Crowley, 1917, about the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light.

Early 1921 — Leopold Engel's father, the conductor Karl Engel (d.
1913) appeared from the spirit-world, and commanded his son to start an
embassy of the other world, through which he "should be prepared to
enter into a most exalted and influential life of heavenly glory,"
wherein he would "communicate his ideas to mankind on Earth."
[13]

1.11.23 — Engel authorised Maximilian Haitz "Hartwig" to take care of
his collection of books "now and after my death."

1924 — The Dresden IO was forced to close due to lack of members. [14]

11.9.1926 — Legal incorporation of the 'World League of Illuminati'
with the authorities at Tempelhof in Berlin. [15]

1933 — The Order's Prefect H. Teumer "Theobald" of Chemnitz proposed
that the Order of Illuminati should be dissolved. [18]

8.9.1934 — The Gestapo raided Meyer's house.

22.9.1934 — The Gestapo compelled Meyer and Maximilian Haitz to sell
off the Order's property. During the Second World War the activities
of the 'World League' took place in the national groups abroad {see
below}.

1.12.46 Mayer sought the return of the Order's property
through the Berlin police. He was informed that the Gestapo buildings
had been burnt to the ground, and that no paperwork had escaped the
fire.

9.4.1953 — Julius Meyer commissioned Maximilian Haitz in Berlin to act
independently "as receiver" of the Order's goods confiscated by
the Gestapo, and "also to wholly represent me in the conduct of the
Order's work." (Frau Anita Borgert's letter to her lawyer Herr Delp also mentions the Berliner Adolf Wille "Odilo" here. The source for this was apparently Paul Vogel's deed {see below} of 1966 [!], in which Hermann Joseph Metzger was made chief.)

1953 Julius Meyer died.

1.11.1955 [19] — Paul Kirchvogel "Klodulf" (member since 5.6.1927)
took up the leadership in Kassel.

1935 — Foundation in Vienna of a new 'Areopagus' with anti-Semitic
"Aryan" rules, and its own Grand Master, without permission from the
Swiss Custodian. In the same year this led to a split: the Swiss
Province declared the Austrian branch irregular. With the 'Anschluss'
of Austria into the Third Reich in 1938, the latter group was
dissolved. [24] Eduard Korbel was able to rescue the Order's papers.*

In 1935 the Pole Jan Korwin-Czarnomski "Elpher" was made 90° and 95° Memphis and Misraim at Warsaw for the 'La Pyramide du Nord en la Vallée de la Vistule' lodge Nº 16, and the 'Pelican à l'Aube Naissante' Rosicrucian Chapter Nº 3, and retained these posts until these lodges were closed. [25] Besides this, Czarnowski represented the Martinists in Poland, Greece, and Madagascar. In 1937 he created an offshoot of the anti-Semitic Austrian 'World League of Illuminati' group in Warsaw; but in 1938 all these lodges were closed down. By 1939 he was active in the ranks of Constant Chevillon and
Swinburne-Clymer's anti-FUDOESI movement, and called upon Arnoldo Krumm-Heller, Hilfiker, and other people not mentioned here, to join him [26]. Members of the Warsaw 'World League' group included Stanislaw Czarnomski (his brother?), Robert Walter "Waltari" (who had seceded from the Anthroposophists; d. 1981), and Colonel Boris Smyslowski "Hermes" who rescued the vestiges of Memphis-Misraim from France after World War Two. Jan Czarnomski was murdered by the Gestapo on June 25th 1944. [27]

Austria

In 1949 the Austrian 'World League of Illuminati' was revived as the
outer court of the Fraternitas Saturni by Eduard
Korbel, who had amassed the titles of Grand Order Chancellor-General, Chancellor of the Austrian Province, Grand Magus 5°, and the highest degree of the Illuminati Order. [28] Another version has it that this revival was performed by one Hermann Medinger on November 11th 1949. [29] H.J. Metzger was commissioned by Meyer in Berlin [30] to act as his go-between with Korbel in Vienna, because censorship of letters made direct contact difficult; as a Swiss citizen Metzger had a visa valid for Berlin and Vienna.* In 1950 Metzger was able to provide Korbel with copies of his rituals, as Korbel had been without books or documentation since 1945; [31] but this contradicts Metzger's later claim that he had inherited "authentic documents" from Korbel. [32] Members in Vienna (among others): Franz Spunda and Prof. Wunderlich; Korbel also advertised his fraternity in the astrological magazine "Mensch und Kosmos"; his circle was describ by Metzger as "A group of illustrious scholars and devotees, consisting of peaceful and enlightened people." [33]

1953-4 — This position was taken over by Hermann Medinger "Manfred",
who had belonged to the 'World League' since 1931, and was Provincial
of the Lower Austrian group.*

Karl Brodbeck died on January 6th 1955 in Switzerland. Metzger was then
made Custodian for Switzerland on May 1st through the offices of Korbel
in Vienna; this was commissioned by a charter signed by Julius Meyer
during Metzger's journey to Vienna on behalf of the Fraternitas
Saturni. Metzger believed this now gave him permission "to fulfil
the union, and to take the Order's work and expansion in hand," to
discover the connections surrounding the O.T.O.'s origins, which he
viewed thus: "The O.T.O. under Reuss split from the Illuminati Order in 1902." Eduard Korbel received his first mention in Metzger's publications in May 1955. [34]

1954-1958 — Holecek-Hollschowitz "Herbert" was Custodian in Austria.*

1953 — Julius Meyer passed his office on to Maximilian Haitz, and died
on November 16th 1955.

25.1.1958. The Chancellor Korbel died, and Metzger's mistress Anita
Borgert "Ainyahita" became Order Grand Chancellor. [35] In Austria Dr.
Danneberg "Dietrich" became Custodian, and Prof. Rieger "Hildebrand"
Chancellor.* "Danneberg was vice-president of the district court at
Korneuburg in Lower Austria, and the brother of the leader of Austria's
Social Democratic party — Rieger was considered to be a Nazi and
'Aryan'." [36]

1960 — The names of Hans Trösch (Karlsruhe) and Karl Prosvic (Vienna)
appear in Metzger's publications. In Metzger's obituary of Korbel, the
title 'I.O.' occurs publicly for the first time. [37] On March 1st
Metzger began recruiting for the IO: "Will those who are interested
please notify us." [38]. On March 1st 1962 Metzger's first mention
of the 'World League of Illuminati' appeared. [39]

27.10.1965 — Maximilian Haitz died.

December 1968 — Metzger spoke for the first time of his "Masonic
Museum of the Illuminati Order." [40]

1969 — The 'World League' in Austria went into abeyance. Probably
spurred on by Walter Englert, [41] Hermann Medinger felt able to resume
his position as Custodian. Metzger opposed this, as Danneberg was still
the most authoritative figure to him.* Although Medinger, sounding like
a character from Mozart's "Magic Flute", was inclined to think that
"Vengeance is unknown in these holy halls," [42] "the Swiss
sisters and brothers were considered to be dangerous servants of Satan." [43] Medinger named himself Grand Chancellor of the 'Illuminati Order for Austria,' and published instructions for his "Radiæsthesic system". [44]

18.2.1972 — Gustav Frey (born 13.1.12) was made Master of the
'Lavater' Lodge in Zurich. Frey "Jeremias" who was a bookseller by
trade, had been to Metzger's lectures in 1950, and had recieved the
Light of the Masons on December 8th 1951; he became an officer of the 'Lavater' Lodge in 1964, and died on May 1st 1972. [45]

Sole Heir

Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack's knowledge of the 'World League' succession
was that Julius Meyer had left a power of attorney with Maximilian
Haitz to regain the League's estate, which had been confiscated by the
Gestapo; this Haitz duly did. But this hardly gave Haitz a claim on
Meyer's succession, nor one on the ownership of the estate; the sole
beneficiary of Meyer's will was his son Gert, a retired police
commissioner. [46] "Haitz had already obtained the goods from the
East Berlin police with the aid of a receipt from Meyer, and after Meyer's death claimed to be his successor." [47] But Gert Meyer stated: "My father did not plan a revival of the Order after the War [...] I am my father's sole heir." [48]

Haack: "In accordance with the desires of the last Grand Master J. Meyer, there was no revival after 1945. All successor Orders (including the P[sychosophical] S[ociety] and the Frankfurt IO [see below]) have no authorised 'World League' tradition." [49]
"From a historical perspective, an alliance, say, between the
Illuminati and the Rosicrucians is nonsense." [50] "The
Order of Illuminates has [...] become an Order of magical
religion." [51]

As to the papers which could document Metzger's successions to the
O.T.O., F.R.A., GCC, or IO: "They waved with documents before our
eyes — but we weren't even allowed to touch or look through them." [52]

Karl Brodbeck claimed that he had found a 'Grand Lodge of Atlantis' in
the USA; a branch that had split off in the 1920s. [53] W. Collins
proposed a line of succession from John Yarker Junior to Ronald Powell,
the "Duc de Palatine" [54].

Illuminati and Templars

The disagreements between Reuss and Engel effectively gave Metzger
"carte blanche" to mix the O.T.O. and Illuminati Order (IO): "as has
already been repeatedly stated, a split occurred in the IO at the turn
of the century, and one half of this consequently called itself the
O.T.O. Both branches of the same tree are re-united." [55] "All
other separated branches which we re-united with the Order after 1952 [?], we lead on an historical basis, and as a result of legal and equitable understandings." [56]
"Today's Ordo Illuminatorum has resolved itself as a reunion of the IO (Engel), OTO (Reuss), and FRA (Krumm-Heller) branches." [57] Reuss
and Crowley had both thought differently (to Metzger); the IO was
incorporated in the O.T.O.

Hermann Joseph Metzger's Grade System

Metzger's collection of Orders was called the Illuminati Order or Ordo
Illuminatorum interchangeably; it was rarely apparent whether this was
meant to be the 'World League of Illuminati'. Leopold Engel himself
made no great distinction between them, too. [58] In the "Anuario
Americano Bucheli", Metzger made it clear that in his opinion Engel's
'World League' and Reuss's O.T.O. were united as the Ordo Illuminatorum.
[59]

[On the right: Hermann Joseph Metzger]

Because disloyal IO-members had shown around the 'secret' teaching
instructions, the "Oriflamme" now published all of them. The permits accompanying these teaching instructions were signed either by Frau Borgert, or else by a Brother 'Solitarius' or a Brother 'Catenus.' An air of gravity was lent to these proceedings with a reference to Reuss's statute of 1912: "Nobody may become an 'initiate' of the OTO who has not received the three Craft degrees of Freemasonry."

Each aspirant "must undergo all the degrees of Craft Freemasonry,
or else the Higher Degrees of Masonry, before they can become an
enlightened and intiated member of our Order." This was in direct
contradiction to Crowley's O.T.O. tradition.

Engel's IO (without Reuss) of 1903 had seven degrees: "The
organisation called I.O. is no continuation of the IO of Adam
Weishaupt" [60]. In 1925, Engel re-structured his order. [61]
According to he Bulletin of the Masons in Vienna, self-initiation had
been become the common use in Engel's IO. [62]

On April 25th 1951, Metzger told Eugen Grosche
that since the Second World War the IO only had five degrees, "of which the Third is Grand Magus, roughly corresponding to the Gradus Templarius [of the then FS with only 10 degrees]. This means that within the org[anisation] it's not really seen as a rank-and-file grade, or senior degree."

After 1962 Metzger devised his own individual grade-system, which
conflated the IO, O.T.O., F.R.A., and GCC. Here is a summary of the
copy of his degree-list held by the Warburg Institute:

The degree system had been changed into nine "Working Divisions": IO,
O.T.O., F.R.A., Masonic tradition, GCC, the "Thelema Free Spirit and
Life School," the Psychosophical Press, the "Labor Thelema," and the
"Thelema Restaurant Management." [63]

"The IO is a high-grade Order. Valid qualifications are the blue
degrees of the Builders, Craft Masonry, and Co-Masonry." [64]
"Our Order [...] will train an élite." [65]
"The ladder of blue, green, red, black, and white degrees signifies:
the masons who construct the Temple, the final perfecters of the Temple
who master true knowledge, the Rosicrucian Chapter who study the
secrets of nature and art, the Knights Templar who defend the Temple,
and the priestly degree who tend the Grail in the Temple." [66]
"The path is: Outer Court of the Temple — Builders of the Temple
(Freemasonry) — Brotherhood of the Rose and Cross — Knight of the
Temple — Presbytery or Priesthood in the Temple." [67]
"The Order's present-day rulership is on the lines of triads, in
accordance with the Tree of Life [like the A.·. A.·.?]. Titles have been done away with in the Order, although the historical titles are implicitly retained. Thus the Order is directed by the Archbishop (the unseen head of the Church who rules solely through the Bishops), the Prefect (the visible head of the Order), and the Vicarius Ordinis (the unknown third of the group). The Præmonstrator General [of the A.·. A.·.?] is
the fourth authority, who decides on publications after consultation
with the Order's rulers." [68]
"The designation 'Order General of the IO', or else 'Order General of the OTO' is employed within the IO as the relevant title for one of the practical functions." [69]

"Our statements are definitively based on historical knowledge and the authentic archival material of our order." [71]

On the arcanum: "Even authors who had studied the matter,
avoided the essential (EVEN Leopold Engel did)." [72] Oscar R. Schlag thought that Metzger wouldn't
have got much out of Engel, as like Ruess, he had only been an opera
singer. Metzger referred directly to Adam Weishaupt; [73] but on the
other hand it was "astonishing and incomprehensible that Adam Weishaupt was always referred to as being the originator of the Illuminati."
[74]

Although Gustav Meyrink and Franz Spunda (author of "Baphomet"), were active members of the IO (the latter using the motto 'Sperontes' under Metzger), they were indiscriminately listed alongside names like those of "Goethe, Mozart, Wieland, Lavater, Pestalozzi, Humboldt, Knigge," as famous members. [75]

Franz Spunda: Baphomet. 1928.

Similarly did Crowley in his Gnostic Mass (Metzger's version of it for internal Swiss use abridged its litany), or Reuss in his revelation of sexual magic in the "Oriflammes" of 1904 and 1912, where the doctrine of sex-magic as the key to the mysteries was followed. Where before in 1914 Reuss described every church-tower as a "symbol of the male organ" and every church-nave as a "symbol of the female organ" in his "Parsifal
oder das entschlüsselte Gralsgeheimnis", [76] by 1968 Metzger knew
stories of "frustrated old spinsters" who still saw a phallus in every church-tower, not to mention in cigarettes, penknives and
kitchen-knives. Yet in the Swiss version of Crowley's "Magick in Theory
and Practice", there was an additional chapter called 'Philosophy
for All' in which Metzger went on in much the same tone against
ubiquitous genitalia.

One of Horst Knaut's main themes in his "Quick" and
"Neue Revue" articles concerned Metzger's Abbey of Thelema. Eventually, Metzger defended himself: "The IO (with the OTO, FRA,
and GCC) is not concerned with a 'mission from the spirit-world', and
does not represent itself as an 'occult group'. It claims to be a
non-denominational, politically neutral, philanthropic and humanitarian
body, and has its origins in the Age of Enlightenment." [77]
Fräulein Äschbach explained the IO's distinction between magical ritual and psychoanalysis in these terms: as opposed to "psychagogy,
psychohygiene, and psychotherapy," the Order's method was enhanced
by making use "mainly of folklore, ritual, symbolism, and
tried-and-tested techniques." [78] "We will not alter any premise; we wish to reconstruct from antiquity - thereby gaining insight and clarity." [79] Eugen Grosche had already made a similar statement about his Fraternitas Saturni:
"We will not use new formulæ in any case, but only the old forms, the primitive symbols, which will be learnt anew, to understand, use, and establish the new rhythm [of the New Aeon]." [80]

Walter Englert {see next section or this summary} disagreed: "Leaving old formulæ unaltered means being enslaved by them. If you remain critical enough to test them and improve on them, you will make progress." [81]

In the course of the struggle for dominance between the various O.T.O.
groupings, the received wisdom about Metzger in the 'Caliphate' was
that "he has slept through the Thelemic revival. The additional chapter in "Magick" is moronic rubbish [82] and the Oriflamme is
epicene." [83]
"There was a pretty large discrepancy between what he published and
what he did." [84]
But in that case: "It would be an overstatment to say that the
Illuminati are 'superior' to the O.T.O. — they are however identical.
All degrees up to and including VI° (equivalent to 33° in the old
system) are what Reuss termed 'lay-brother' degrees. O.T.O. membership
proper began at VII°. Reuss states of the degrees VII°-X° that 'these
are the real active members of O.T.O., also called the Hermetic
Brotherhood of Light, or Illuminati'. The title of the IX° is
Illuminatus Perfectus." [85]

The Heavenly Stormtroopers

Walter Englert, was born on March 16th 1924 in Frankfurt at 9.13
a.m.; on December 29th 1962 he received the 13°, and on April 4th 1963
the 12° and 18° from Eugen Grosche. [86]

[On the right: Walter Englert]

"Effectively made 'homeless' by the sudden death of his Grand
Master Gregor A. Gregorius," on January 5th 1964 [87] Englert was appointed into the "miner[v?]al collection at Stein" under the motto 'Telepharos' by E. Engeler "Angelus" on May 27th 1964; on May 29th that year he received the "Masonic light" from Metzger himself in Zurich, in his 'Limmat zum Kompass' Lodge. On May 31st, he married his wife Uta at the 'Rose und Kreuz' church in Zurich, the union being blessed by Bishop "Josephus M+" (= Metzger), with his no doubt suitably non-denominational version of a priest's marriage blessing. [88]

In early 1964 Paul R. Audehm (who had known Englert since 1963)
travelled to Stein with his friend and work-colleague Peter Lerch "Petrus". The encounter had apparently been "determined by Gregorius." [89] During the night after the first meeting with Metzger, Rösli Metzger appeared in a dream to Audehm, with what he described as an "ecstatically distorted expression." [90] In the summer of 1965 Audehm was initiated into the novice degree of the Illuminati Order at Zurich under his motto of Brother 'Mundus.'

On June 18th 1965 Englert was called by Metzger to the Companion
degree, and on October 17th that year, on the occasion of his
initiation into the 0° OTO by Günther Naber "Beatus", he recieved a
quotation from "Liber AL": "O azure-lidded woman, bend upon
them!" (Ch.1 v. 19). On October 19th, Naber bestowed the Master's degree on him, and shortly after on the 22nd in Zurich, Metzger appointed him as X° for Germany; [91] Emil Scheidegger was a witness. "The integrity of this witnessed, fully ratified document is not to be doubted." [92]

In the same month, October, a circular was sent out from Stein,
containing pleas to "the Brothers for their increasingly active
efforts, proper appreciation, and practical support in the widest
sense." Yet by December Stein was complaining about "Brothers
splitting away." "The O[rder] requires every Brother to recruit one or more successors"; [93] it was added that the October circular had not been "justified self-criticism." During the Christmas and New Year 1965-66, anyone wanting to take a break at Stein would have been disappointed; due to alocal outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the district was officially quarantined.

In early 1966, Gabriel
Montenegro visited Stein from the USA; we will meet Montenegro (a Mexican by birth), again in other chapters, e.g. on the Fraternitas Rosicruciana Antiqua and the Mysteria Mystica Maxima.
Suffice it to say here that he possessed a doctorate of medicine from a
body called the "Sierra State University" (which was a fraudulent
'degree-mill'), and was appointed 33°, IX°, and O.T.O. Supreme
Sovereign for both North and South America by Metzger. [94] Audehm: "In his retinue there were two peculiar American gentlemen, whom we suspected of being CIA. At Dornach [the headquarters of Anthroposophy] after 'Monti' produced his Lodge certificate, we were able to penetrate to the Holy of Holies; we were conducted therein with great courtesy by a member of the I.O. — a Brother Leo from Zurich. [...] Then on Sunday Herr Schlag arrived with about five people and made Montenegro's acquaintance, (as well as [Adolf] Hemberger and myself) [...] One morning we discovered all 'Monti's' charters, passwords and --- signs spread out on the table in the bar [of the Gasthof Rose...] The way I heard it, 'Monti' then left without even saying goodbye, completely humiliated [...] However Montenegro wore a Bishop's ring, and maintained that he would be welcomed in Rome at any time. I believe that he was." [95]

Englert brought Prosper Wilhelm Maurer (b. 20.6.1892) to Stein on June
20th 1966. From October 14th-18th that year Englert stayed at Stein to
arrange for the founding of a lodge in Frankfurt. Then on November
11th, at 11 p.m. [96] the 'Freiherr Adolf von Knigge' Lodge was
brought into being by Annemarie Äschbach, Anita Borgert and Metzger at
Frankfurt; and Messrs Paul Rüdiger Audehm (Chancellor), his "closest
friend" [97] Englert (Master), and Peter Lerch (Delegate for
Switzerland) were empowered to "work the First to Third Degrees." This lodge was registered with the authorities six weeks later as an
O.T.O.-IO incorporated association. Yet only a year later, the 19 members of this lodge split from the Swiss.

Audehm: "I won't even try to defend myself as the begetter of this
development. No doubt I am guilty of skimming over ill-digested magical
ideas — and not least of some remaining traces of Christian decency and
feeling. The Swiss 'Grand Master' could not stand my [...]
upholding Christian ethics, and that I disapproved of his behaviour towards female Order members — not excluding married women." [98]

Various letters "to the Strs. and Bros. of the Freiherr Adolf von
Knigge Lodge" emanated from Stein, imploring these initiates to
"enter calmly together into an exchange of views." Then the Swiss, sensing that the final breach was coming, decided to publish their
instructional material in the Oriflamme, since their secrets were no
longer safe with the Frankfurt lodge. "In response to the
eavesdropping on information from other obediences [...] Bros. should confine themselves to practical work." [99]

Gabriel Montenegro was drawn into the dispute, and though hitherto
satisfied with Metzger, began to have doubts about him. The country
doctor Günther Naber, so far loyal to Metzger (he was one of the five
members of the IX° who elected Metzger as OHO in
January 1963) described events in Switzerland for the Mexican: "They'd let nothing more appear from the 'Thelema' press since
the 'Self-Knowledge' book. [100] The duties of running the hotel — the bar, kitchen. etc. — in the 'Rose' guest-house at Stein, and the renovations and new building-works there, were taking up all the participants' time, or so we were assured [...] From Wisdom's abundant breasts, copiously flowing Spiritus (Sanctus?) created a kind of ecstatic consciousness, so much so, that we could only tremble in fear and awe. So there wasn't much left for us to do but to wait in humble and childlike submission, while talking about the conditions for realizing Thelema." (Late July 1968).

About this time Audehm distributed his "Dokumentation über einen
Ordensschwindel" ("Documentation on a Fraudulent Order") [101] in which
came to terms with Metzger's titles. His starting-point was the charter
Metzger gave to Englert, Audehm and Lerch on November 11th 1966.
"We, H. Josephus M., Frater Paragranus, Bearer of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of France, Grand Cross of the Order of Joachites,
Profess-Knight of the Ordo Militiæ Templi Cruci [OMCT],
Sovereign Grand Master General, O.H.O., Vicarius Ordinis of the Order of Oriental Templars, Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of Illuminati, Sovereign Grand Master General of the Fraternitas Rosicruciæ Antiqua, and
Sovereign Patriarch Ecclesiæ Gnosticæ Catholicæ... [etc.]"

Audehm asked the French Embassy in Bonn for information about this,
and got this reply: "I beg to inform you that Herr Josef Hermann
Metzger is not in the ranks of those honoured with the Grand Cross of
the National Order of Merit." And: "I must add that there was an
'phantom' honour under the title of 'National French Merit' (and not
'National Order of Merit'). It was conferred by an association unknown
to me [...] I know of no Order of Saint Joachim."

Horst E. Miers made full use of Audehm's "Dokumentation" for his
"Lexikon des Geheimwissens" ("Dictionary of Secret Knowledge") [102],
even though Metzger tried to produce a legal justification for his
antics. "The exact description is 'Grand Cross-Bearer of the Order
of Merit of France', according to the document of 10th January 1953,
issued by the Universal Order of Knights of Honour and Brothers of
Merit (Ordre Universel des Chevaliers de l'Honneur et Compagnons du
Mérite) 'pour reconnaître les services rendus a l'humanité'." [103]

R. Horst, the OMCT's Chancellor, informed Audehm that Metzger was no
longer a member of the organisation. [104]

On July 23rd 1968 Walter and Uta Englert, together with Audehm and
Hemberger, united to depose Metzger from his offices as their chief.

Montenegro wrote to Naber: "I received an answer [...] from
Bro. Englert [...] He states that he was designated in your presence, not only as X° OTO, but also OHO: something which would give him world-wide jurisdiction? [...] Am I to understand a complete take-over is contemplated?" [105].

Naber to Montenegro: "To me it appears unjust to accept grades and
offices from an O[rder]-Chief, and then to disqualify this chief
whilst illegally continuing to confer those same grades and offices."
[106]

On October 25th 1968, precisely six years after Karl Germer's death, Metzger took the initiative: "To all who have belonged to the Frankfurt group and registered society Ordo Illuminatorum!" Walter and Uta Englert, Paul Rüdiger, Audehm and Peter Lerch [107] were stripped of the "right to appear or act in the name of the Order, or to use the Order's name for themselves or a group." The November 1966 warrant was annulled, as was the group's registration with the authorities in Frankfurt.

Günther Naber wrote to Gabriel Montenegro on 29.10.68: "In those ten
years I had got no REAL progress out of the Order; and most of the
Bros. who I know were similarly disappointed. But any open criticism of
this sort met with the reprimand that we were not doing our duties well
enough in accord with the solemn oath we had taken [...] It is
known that many others quietly withdrew from the O[rder]; the reasons for this certainly has something to do with P[aragranus]'s
'initiated' behaviour in public, and how his teachings and sayings contrasted with his defects as a spiritual leader, as well as his lack of sincerity and his secretiveness. 'Do what thou wilt' only had a theoretical meaning there, since having an original thought was treated as treason or else mocked. Consequently one parroted what his lordship said — or stayed silent. Practicalities or spiritual matters were hardly ever mentioned; the usual conversations were average bar-room stuff." [108]

Naber departed, asking for all his personal writings, including his
diaries to be returned to him in July 1972, and allied himself (via
Erler's ORA?) to Oscar Schlag and Walter Studinski. [109]

Montenegro did not know on what basis Englert and his nineteen
followers had been able to set up shop; whether with Englert's 18°
Charter dating from 13.4.1963, or with the Charter to work three
degrees under the 'World League of Illuminati' heading dated
11.11.1966, or else with Englert playing the part of OHO. [110]

Structure in Frankfurt

The question as to what rituals were worked in Frankfurt is probably
answered by the letter of 25.10.1968 in which Metzger demanded that
"5 ritual books for the L.'. Lodge" be returned, amongst other things. As a co-founder, Audehm stated that the use of the name alone was quite sufficient for him, as he had introduced a new set of ingredients into the organisation. Afterwards Audehm made a confession about his
projected degree-system: "we hadn't got one — so we made one
up." [111]

The Illuminati Order as expanded to 24 degrees by Audehm and Englert,
included the O.T.O. as its 18°, like the earlier project by Metzger
and Grosche (to incorporate the O.T.O. in Germany as 18th degree into
the FS).

"18th. Standard-Bearer of the ORIFLAMME, Knight Templar of the OTO.
The OTO's work does not especially consist of Magic (although it
contains a distinction between the genders) apart for its being geared
towards the achievement of a world-wide Imperium [...] The Law
of 'Do what thou wilt' is the Law of this NEW STATE [...] in our days the OTO will appear in public — as HEAVENLY STORM-TROOPERS! The holder of the 18th degree has the power to create a new Order-province, or Order-enclave, wherever he shall pl ease. Further, he can himself found new Orders.
In Nomine: Fra Telepharos [Englert] 24° IO, 33°, 90°, 97°, X°
OTO. Fra Mundus [Audehm] 23° IO, 32°, 89°, 95°." [112]
"The OTO and the Gnosis (Gnostic Church) are part of the Illuminati
Order." [113]

Hermann Medinger (from the Austrian IO) and Theodor Czepl (a follower
of Lanz Liebenfels) were active in Frankfurt for a short time. "The
contact died out. These gentlemen were something of a simple quality
to us." [114]Medingers "Notes on Astral Traveling" first appeared in Englert's periodical: “Der Illuminat” — in December 1969. Imprimatur Ordo Militiae Caelestis.

Eventuallly, Audehm parted from Englert: "The Frankfurt IO got in
my way too much, with its petty outlook." [115] While Metzger
taught by way of correspondence, Englert made use of tapes. [116]

Too big to Fail?

"Did the Order fail because it was not able to prevent such a thing,
because it was not competent to train the promised élite, in which
people would have been able to serve as leaders in the future
awakening? Did we, the students, fail in this?" Metzger expressed
his doubts in the "Oriflamme" during 1970.

Englert made enquiries of the local council at Stein whether Metzger
could be certified as feeble-minded. The council's chairman informed
him that Metzger was "apparently fighting-fit for all-comers."
[117]

Metzger took Englert to court four times altogether — and lost every
case, even his lawsuit over the right to use particular names and
titles, which was tried at the Federal Court in Karlsruhe. Hemberger
appeared as an 'expert witness'. "The names of Haitz and Kirchvogel
mentioned by Metzger [...] are not known to me. [118] The
title 'Ordo Ill.-Germaniæ' does not appear in this connection." [The decisions over the FS and O.T.O. appear at the end of chapter about the Song of the Whitewash]. [119]

Metzger was duly ordered to pay full costs. [120] "Legal protection
of names holds good for limited liability companies and for not
registered societies." (Paragraph 12 of the Civil Code).

Due to a Swiss-German agreement on legal aid, special arrangements
existed between the two countries. So it was possible (in the first
instance) to sue for the legal fees and court-costs for all four cases
in St. Gallen, when the judgements of each individual court could be
investigated once more. Englert engaged a lawyer in St. Gallen to sue
for costs, whereupon Metzger made a declaration to the court that he
had no funds at his disposal. In Switzerland it is the rule that one
side in a lawsuit must establish what funds, property, or valuables
the other side possesses. [121]

The legal arguments demonstrated that neither the Abbey of Thelema nor
the Psychosophical Society could be prosecuted for the 12,000
Deutschmark fine against the Ordo Illuminatorum. This latter, it
appeared, had formed itself as an independent, sovereign society with
its own funds. [122] Nor could Metzger himself be sued, since the OI's
statutes did not provide for membership-fees (this in contrast to the
1950 statutes).

These disputes brought F.W. Haack — representative of established
religion, and Horst Knaut — exponent of tabloid journalism, into the
picture; both industriously collected documentation from Gerald Yorke,
Audehm, and Walter Jantschik. Haack was also furnished with information
from anonymous sources at this time in order he did not give them
much weight in his publications.

Paul Ruediger Audehm

Audehm had gained his first practical occult experiences with the
Lectorium Rosicrucianum; but at the Frankfurt FS lodge in 1962 he was
"the only guest who appeared [...] even though he was only a
snooper and a crank." [123]

In early 1969 Audehm started the periodical "Zion" in collaboration
with Englert. In Stephan Grasser's 'Kether Lodge' Audehm went by the
name 'Alagris', but he was expelled on 15.4.1969: "Just like he was
thrown out [...] of the Ordo Illuminatorum in Stein." [124]
Joseph Grasser: "Audehm wrote to me that he wanted to get rid of
Metzger, that he favoured someone other for the position of Grand
Master, [...] the new Grand Master had already been nominated to his place, according to what Audehm stated to an American [Montenegro]. Audehm also pretends to be X° OTO." [125]

After being "befriended" by Metzger in the 1960s, by December 1986
Grasser was certain in his own mind that he had been magically menaced
with illness by both the Stein and Frankfurt O.T.O. groups.

In February 1969 Audehm founded his own individual Zion Lodge, and in
1971 the "Ecclesia Universalis Tempelieren von Jeruschalajim"
("Ecclesia Universalis of Templars of Yerushalayim.") In 1976 the
"Christkatholische Aszetik" ("Christian Catholic Ascetic") began
publication, in which Audehm wrote after 1977 under the "nom de plume"
of 'Uodil von Mihingart' about the "global conspiracy against
Christendom." [126] Using the alias 'Arp Königsberger' Audehm
published small leaflets from this time on.

In 1985 Englert advertised in the "Spirituelle Adressbuch", stating
that from now on he could not accept any more new members "due to
the great number of candidates." [127]

Facsimiles of all these letters will be found in Lady
Queensborough (Edith Starr Miller): "Occult Theocracy", France 1933 and
Christian Book Club of America 1976. This volume also contains
reproductions of the correspondence between Reuss and 'Papus'
(Encausse), and various other Theosophists, Martinists, the Order of
Mopses; also the only extant facsimile reproduction of Reuss's 1912
charter for Crowley. Leslie (or Lesley) Fry (Paquita Shismarev), quotes
these letters in his article 'Les Missionaires du Gnosticisme', in the
"Revue Internationale des Sociétés Secrètes" for May 1931, pp. 461-547.

The date derived from the 'original' charter of 28.1.1966, in
which Kirchvogel made Metzger supreme head. Haitz's previous 'power of
attorney' dated from 30.11.55; facsimile in Koenig/Materialien zum OTO

The titles 'Custodian' (Kustos), 'Chancellor' (Kanzler), 'Order
Grand Chancellor' (Grossordenskanzler), 'Provincial' (Provinzial),
'Regent', and 'Prefect' are muddled, and not given clearly in the list
of ranks. In every statute the Illuminati Order (sometimes equated with
the 'World League of Illuminati') consists of five, six, seven, or even
nine degrees.